Photo contest to showcase Main Street Initiative

LAPEER — If you have a camera, the Lapeer Downtown Development Authority is looking for your help — and if selected, there’s a free dinner in it for you.

Since being accepted into the Michigan Main Street revitalization program in March, the downtown district has been partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to increase business and enjoyment of Lapeer’s downtown area, and kicking off this week is a photo contest that aims to put on display the best attributes of the district.

“I know there’s a lot of photographers in the area in and around Lapeer and I think this is something that will allow them to highlight their skills and help promote Lapeer at the same time,” said Lapeer DDA Director James Alt. “Photos submitted to the contest have a chance to be featured nationally.”

According to the MEDC website, Michigan Main Street’s Photo Contest was created to allow communities to showcase their downtown revitalization efforts and highlight their accomplishments as Main Street communities. If photos generated in communities such as Lapeer are selected as winners, the downtown area will receive a cash prize that will be put toward revitalization efforts. Communities will also be recognized through having their photos featured in MEDC materials which include social media outlets, brochures, the MiPlace website and presentations.

The contest began Monday and runs through December. Photos are judged in one of five categories, defined as each of the Main Street Four Points: Economic vitality, organization, design and promotion, as well as the last segment of the contest, highlighting photos that best represent overall active downtown districts to spotlight the key to a strong Main Street. Communities can win $1,000 per category and can submit up to five photos per category.

To determine Lapeer’s submissions to the MEDC Michigan Main Street Photo Contest, Alt said the DDA will judge photos based on what best exemplifies the five categories. “The key is it has to be the downtown area, Nepessing, Clay and Pine Streets,” said Alt. “Basically photos that show Lapeer’s best foot forward.”

Photographers who present work that is selected by the Lapeer DDA as official submissions to the MEDC Michigan Main Street Photo Contest will receive a gift card for a free dinner at any downtown-area restaurant, valued at $35, donated by St Matthew’s Church.

“There are some specific rules and guidelines and participants will have to sign a photo release, but if we use a photo submitted by someone from the public, St. Matthew’s Church has agreed to sponsor dinner for them at the downtown restaurant of their choosing,” said Alt. “It’s great for the downtown because it also helps us build a photo database that we can use to promote the downtown.”

For more information or to submit photos to the Lapeer DDA, email James@LapeerDDA.com. For photo submissions, include highest quality images possible.

Subscribers to the County Press newspaper can now purchase the complete online and E-Edition of the paper for as little as $5 for three months. If you want a six month subscription to the online edition it is $10 and a full year can be purchased for $20.

Non-subscribers can sign up for the online version for $15 for three months, $30 for six months and $60 for an annual subscription.